Immigration Immersion Trip to Tijuana

September 18 – September 26, 2018

This trip would be the first in a series of annual immigration immersion trips through a partnership between BPFNA ~ Bautistas por la Paz and American Baptist International Ministries. The purpose of these trips would be to bring faith and community leaders into a deeper understanding of the true stories behind the immigration debate in the US, focusing on real relationships and conversations with those whose lives are most impacted by US immigration policy and economics.

This trip and future trips would be led by Ray Schellinger, ABC’s International Ministry’s global consultant for Immigrants and Refugees, who has been leading trips such as these for the last 11 years.

Tijuana Immersion Trip 2018

Participants will fly to San Diego, where they will meet up with Ray who will bring them across the border to Tijuana. The group will be hosted at Deborah’s House, a ministry for victims of domestic violence. The shelter will provide group members the opportunity to learn from and establish relationships with the women and children who reside there. This will help participants understand the economic and social difficulties that migrants face in a city of 2+ million people.

The trip will include visits with:

Border Angels- an advocacy group for immigrant rights

Dreamer Moms- An organization of deported mothers whose children remain in the US

Deported Vets- An organization providing support and legal aid for deported US veterans

Border Patrol- A tour given by the US Border patrol

US Customs- A tour given at the port of entry by the US Customs and Border Protection

Border Church- An ecumenical, binational, bilingual worship/communion service on the border at Friendship Park

Little Haiti- a new community of thousands of Haitian migrants whose journey to Tijuana will astound participants

Camino del Salvacion- A Baptist Church which is beginning a new shelter for migrants

A road trip to the east to see the border in the desert, as well as to see the prototype border wall sections, which Mexico has not yet paid for.

Meeting with a chaplain who works in the immigration detention facility in Mexicali.

The trip will be offered to 8-12 participants. The cost is $600 per person, which includes meals, lodging, transportation, and a tour guide. Participants are responsible for their airfare and one or two meals out.

Click here to apply.Please send your completed application to [email protected] with the subject line “[YOUR LAST NAME] MEXICO IMMERSION APPLICATION.” Spaces are limited. Please apply as soon as possible to assure your spot. Applications MUST be received by August 17. Contact [email protected] with any questions.

Know of others who might be interested? Click here for a flyer you can share.

The Rev. Ray Schellinger began serving as ABC’s International Ministry’s global consultant for Immigrants and Refugees on July 1, 2017. In this role, he networks with IM colleagues and international partners that work with refugees and displaced peoples, helping to strengthen their ministries, find needed resources and build capacity. Schellinger works to construct bridges between US and Puerto Rican churches and IM’s global partners, providing opportunities to serve some of the most vulnerable people in the world. In addition, he hosts several volunteer teams per year in international cross-cultural settings where they learn about the struggles of migrants, the realities of global immigration and border policies. Ray and his wife, Adalia Gutiérrez Lee, were commissioned in 1994 to serve as missionaries in Nicaragua. The couple currently resides in Pennsylvania, where Gutiérrez Lee serves as IM area director for Iberoamerica and the Caribbean.